Just Friends
by 2NiCe4U
Summary: It only takes a spark to start a fire. SSHG Oneshot


Just Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own.

A/N: Enjoy and review!

"You two make such a cute couple," Harry Potter remarked after five minutes of watching them squabble over whether Moonstone should be added before or after Anise in the potion they were inventing to help with sleep deprivation. To this pronouncement, he was met with two blank stares. He smirked and walked out of the room.

Hermione looked to her business partner, "Did you put something in his tea this morning?"

"No," Severus said after a brief pause, "You?"

She made a noise of dissent, before continuing with their discussion.

….

It wasn't until the next order meeting that Hermione thought about Harry's odd comment. 'Order meeting' was a very loose term for their monthly gatherings at Grimmauld Place, twelve years after Voldemort's reign of terror. It was more an excuse for Minerva McGonagall to hear gossip on what happened while she was cloistered in Hogwarts as Headmistress.

Hermione had been content just observing everyone from her corner of the room when Severus had come through the door, peeling his scarf off. She noted that he still had snowflakes in his hair, the raven locks glinting and most likely damp from all the flakes that had already melted into it. He took off his black cloak, revealing a dark navy sweater and black pressed slacks. As he turned to hang it on the coat rack by the door, Hermione observed the shifting muscles of his back, his torso slimming down to a rather fine looking posterior.

She blinked and shook her head. Just because she'd not been in a relationship for several years did not mean she had to go drooling over her coworker!

Merlin, he was coming over.

She tried to keep her face from turning red, knowing that he probably hadn't been performing legilimency on her while she had done a once-over of him. That didn't mean he couldn't be reading her mind at the moment though.

"Hello Severus, I hope you're doing as well as when I saw you last?"

He raised an eyebrow and smirked at her, "Considering that was only a few hours ago, I would hope so as well."

Hermione smiled back, determined to be comfortable. This was the Severus she'd known in their eight years of working together. Nothing drool-worthy about that.

Except, there was something charming and attracting about him, and it wasn't just a trick of the firelight. This man was fully relaxed before her, a slight smile on his angular face and a glint in his eye. It didn't matter that his nose stood out almost exactly two inches from his face, or that he used to be the strictest teacher at school. She rather liked his nose, now that she thought about it.

She _knew_ this Severus. He was the man that would tell her when she was wrong, the one who'd knock her out of the way if a potion looked ready to explode, and the man that listened to her with his whole self.

Of course, she'd keep all these feelings to herself. There was no way she would embarrass herself and horrify him with any sign that she might be interested in something more than their business partnership. If she did, she would more likely be kissing her job goodbye than kissing him.

"Hermione," She blinked and resisted shivering at the tingle of pleasure down her spine as he pronounced her name in that smooth voice of his, "Hermione, are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm quite fine, thank you. Just thinking about the potion I was working on earlier."

Nice cover, Hermione.

"Ah, does Pepperup require such deep thought?" His smirk told her he'd caught her slip-up, but he didn't bother finding out what she really was thinking, to her relief.

"I saw how long you were staring into the Befuddlement drought you were making this morning. I'm starting to worry that you accidentally imbibed some."

His eyes glinted back at her with humor and challenge, ready to face her once again in a battle of wits.

….

She came in, a whirlwind of activity and noise, her hair thrashing about as if with a life of its own, half covering her face. The folds of her skirt seemed droopy and empty from the lack of wind in the shop and the collar of her shirt was askew. She tossed down the bags in her hands and wrestled the hair away from her face, grumbling.

"Bloody hell!" She cried out loudly in frustration as her hair swung forward, back into her face. She held it back in one hand and with the other dug around in one of her monstrous bags. "Merlin's sagging tits, Blast-ended Skrewt eating menace…" She muttered under her breath. She finally pulled a hair tie from the bag with a slightly maniacal laugh.

Severus stared.

She wrapped her hair in a semblance of a bun and secured it, ignoring the few random strands tickling her otherwise bare throat.

"… Need to cut my hair," she muttered with a slight frown. She looked up to see him staring at her. "Well? Are you just going to stand there, or will you come get some of these bags and help me restock our inventory? Today's been a tosser of a day already. I'm just glad we don't have to deal with any customers at the moment. Bloody hags looking for quack medicine to cure their husband's penchant for cheating on their sorry arses. Most likely not even for husbands, the jealous wenches, and the toss-pots not even deserving the attention they get. And how do they expect us to have something tailored exactly to their needs, when they don't pull out more than a sickle to pay for it! You pay for what you get, and they might as well spend their sum on a pint or two of Ogden's and forget the mess they've made of their lives for a few hours instead. Well? Help me?"

Severus blinked and walked over, automatically picking up most of the bags she'd dumped on the floor.

"Ah, wait!" She sorted through them and took one of the smaller bags off his arm, "That's our lunch. Today's my day for it, and I'm just too bloody frustrated to do any more work than possible." She set the bag on the table and helped him bring the rest of the bags to the back, setting them by the ingredient closet. She huffed in relief, "Now, time for lunch!"

Severus quietly followed her back to the front of their shop, not wanting to draw attention to himself while she was in this state. He sat down at the table and let her sort out their meal. When she finally sat across from him, she was able to smile, and looked a lot less flustered.

"So, how was your day?"

"Relatively normal. No one's bothered trying to open the door yet, so I think they're actually learning to read finally, and realizing that we aren't open on Mondays. The runespoor eggs we got last week have already gone bad, so I'll be paying Slug and Jigger's a not so pleasant visit tomorrow."

Hermione nodded, her mouth full of Chinese food. Severus dug into his own with gusto. He'd never found out the wonder of takeout until he started working with Hermione. Maybe it would take his mind off the odd way he'd felt when she walked through the door, hair wild and cursing like a witch from Knockturn Alley.

….

Hermione sung a Weird Sisters song under her breath as she ground beetle eyes into a fine powder with her mortar and pestle. Every now and then she'd reach up and tuck the same wayward curl back behind her ear. A potion bubbled merrily to her right, bright chartreuse, and when she added the powder, it slowed to a simmer with a hiss and turned a deep purple. Everything was on track, and she turned to the next ingredient, ready to prep it, only to find that it had already been prepped for her. She looked up into glinting eyes and smirked.

"I don't know what favor you think you'll be getting from helping me out, other than the satisfaction of a job well done."

"As if a Slytherin can't do something without some sort of recompense," Severus looked innocent, which was definitely something to be suspicious about.

"What do you want," She decided to cut to the chase.

"Have you thought about that conference in Madrid?"

"Ugh, you're going to make me go, with only a translator charm as guide and only my wand to protect me from … los hombres hambrientos?"

Severus' smirk seemed to mock her glare, "I was going to suggest we go together. There's no way I'm letting my most competent business partner get tangled in a florid romance in an exotic country and never come back to the soggy piece of land she belongs to." His eyes seemed to gain a bit of seriousness as he said this, and Hermione couldn't help but feel a little flattered, even though she knew it was nothing personal.

"I'm your only business partner," she managed to respond feebly.

"Exactly, now add the Puffapod juice I prepared for you before I demerit you to adequate business partner."

Hermione smiled and complied.

….

Severus swiftly lifted his hand to rub his jaw so that it didn't give in to the reflexive action to drop at the sight of the exotic beauty descending the staircase towards him. It was bad enough that he could feel his cheeks flush slightly, something quite noticeable on his pale face.

Her vivacious hair was pulled back partially by combs, and he was half tempted to pull them out, just to see its unmanageable glory. She was wrapped in a dress that looked like one piece of deep magenta cloth, and it did more for her figure than any of the countless work robes she wore. He considered enacting a dress code requiring such attire from his coworker, but dismissed it regretfully. There was no way she wouldn't be able to see right through it, and most likely, he would end up with a hand print on his cheek and a lack of business partner. No, it would be better to savor it while it lasted.

She approached him with a smile that dampened slightly when he could only allow himself to remark how well-rested she looked. She thanked him and did not comment on his clothing choice, as he had not complied with the local dress, but wore his traditional black robes and scowl. He kicked himself for being so impersonal. They had been working together for eight, going on nine, years, and he couldn't pay her a decent compliment? He gritted his teeth and followed her, fingering his wand as he noticed all the male eyes wandering in her direction. If he couldn't have her, there was no way he'd let some suave local steal her from him.

To keep them at bay, he opened the doors to the lecture hall and offered his arm to Hermione, receiving a startled look, followed by a genuine smile that warmed him to his dragon-hide clad toes. He could do this.

….

Hermione sighed and washed her tanned face, patting it dry before climbing into her bed. She was grateful to be back in her own country, if a little depressed. Sure, the convention was drawn out and boring for the most part, but she'd been able to enjoy the almost uninterrupted company of Severus Snape for a weekend. No doubt he was quite sick of her by now. It had taken quite a bit of discipline not to just revel in contentment at his presence and think about how romantic Spain had seemed by his side.

Hermione frowned. It would be all back to normal tomorrow. No more opportunities to see if she could get a reaction from him based on her apparel or see the almost possessive way he'd stand by her as she conversed with various other potions masters. It had made her feel like she was important to him, something she was most likely delusional about.

….

Severus rubbed his face into his pillow, hoping that sleep would come soon. The weekend had been stressful, in more ways than one. He'd not only had to flock Hermione from men like a sheep away from charming and ravenous wolves, but hold back his own impulse to join the fray and overwhelm the woman with his possessiveness. No doubt she was confused. After all, there was no way she'd ever see him as anything more than what he was: a bitter old man.

He sighed and turned over on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep would be a long time coming.

….

"What is your problem," Hermione scowled in frustration at his bland look, "Ever since that trip to Spain, you've been impersonal to the point that I sometimes think the last eight years have somehow been erased from your memory. Why the hell are you being so distant? I thought we were friends by this point!"

Hermione turned away as she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She would not give him the satisfaction of crying over him. At least not in his face.

The last week had been a nightmare. Severus had been distant, which had caused her to worry and analyze their time in Spain, hoping she hadn't made her feelings obvious in some way and disgusted him. She couldn't come up with anything too obvious in her actions, and it just made her frustrated, not being able to figure out what was wrong with the man she had worked so hard to be close to. It seemed as though all her hard work had been tossed down the metaphorical drain when she'd showed up to work only to find frigid silence and a cold shoulder.

"As I have said before, there is no problem. Now, if you could add your ingredients before the potion is ruined, it would be highly appreciated."

His voice was barely on the side of polite, and Hermione turned to her potion with a trembling lip, hoping he didn't hear the slight sniffle. She _would not_ cry.

Unfortunately, he must have heard something, for he sighed from behind her. She half expected him to rebuke her for her weakness, like he had when they'd first become partners, but she only heard his footsteps as he turned and walked away, and that was somehow worse. She quickly scrubbed at her eyes with her sleeve to prevent contamination of the potion. What was going on?

A fire almost seemed to light inside her at that moment. Who was she to get all teary eyed over this? She was a Gryffindor, and would work her way down to the bottom of this if she had to tie Severus down in order to get an answer. Some part of her was not a little excited at that possible prospect. Resolutely, she abandoned the cauldron and all else and stalked back to their shared office, where the insufferable man was most likely hiding behind the excuse of paperwork.

Slamming the door open certainly got a reaction other than cold indifference, as he looked up with raised eyebrows and what appeared to be a bit of fear in his eyes. She stalked over and slapped both hands down on the other side of the table, glaring at him.

"Severus Snape, you will tell me what the hell is going on, or I'm going to have to force it out of you, whether from Veritaserum or torture."

He scowled. No doubt the man was used to being threatened, though it had never come from this avenue before.

"I mean it Severus. I won't stand another day of this bloody cold war you're waging against me if I don't know the cause of it. I'm prepared to use any means necessary."

Severus eyed her before standing and turning his back on her with a huff.

Hermione growled. That was it. Time for manhandling.

She strode around the desk and gripped his shoulder, turning him to face her as she glared up at him. There was a bit of fire in his eyes, but it didn't deter her one bit.

"Tell me what is wrong. Now."

His eyes narrowed as they observed her, and Hermione almost shrank back as he reached for her, almost afraid she had invoked some unknown abusive tendencies, only to find herself in his embrace, her mouth quite thoroughly and pleasantly occupied.

She was being snogged by Severus Snape.

Her mind stuttered to a stop before squealing in delight as she became coherent enough to thoroughly engage her own arms into the embrace from the limp position they had been adopting. It seemed no problem for her hands to grasp onto his robes and cling with an almost painful grip, as if, were she to let go, it wouldn't be real, and the world would go back to the way it was, where the possibility of Severus kissing her was nil to zero.

….

Severus couldn't control himself anymore. He'd kept his distance, trying to save her from the horror of discovering his attraction to her, but then she'd gone and cried, and he'd had to duck into his office to avoid pulling her into his arms and kissing away her tears. She could never want someone as flawed as him.

She had stormed in, her hair once more the wild mess he had always been fascinated with, and he couldn't help the pull of attraction he felt as he listened to her demanding things from him. Yes, he'd been ordered to do things before, but this coming from the woman he most desired was his undoing. She wanted to know what was wrong? He'd show her, and get his few seconds of happiness before it crumbled around him as she turned away in disgust.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him, ignoring how startled she looked, how he'd most likely be getting that slap sooner than he'd anticipated. His lips touched hers, and nothing else mattered but the fulfillment he felt, the triumph that rushed through his veins at the knowledge that he was actually kissing Hermione Granger. It was a heady feeling, but not as wonderful as the realization that she wasn't struggling to get away, but struggling to get closer, once she comprehended what he was doing to her.

He felt almost faint with relief, wrapping his arms around her waist and continuing his assault with fervor. Was it just his imagination, or was he hearing explosions going off in his head?

The ground shuddered and he pulled back in shock, sharing a glance with a flushed Hermione. The sight of her would have distracted him from investigating the noise, except for the dawning sheepishness in her eyes.

"Erm, I might have been a bit too upset to banish the potion before I sought you out."

Severus smirked. An exploded potion was the least of his worries after the burden of unrequited love had been lifted from his shoulders. Hermione sighed in relief at his apparent acceptance of her mistake. They stepped out of the office to assess the damage.

All in all, everything was quickly cleaned with a few flicks of a wand. They were both glad it was a Monday. There would be no startled customers to comfort, and, most importantly, they could get back to their dalliance.

"Where were we?" Hermione asked with a certain glint in her eye, once everything was settled.

Severus smirked at her before leading her back to the privacy of their office.

A/N: Just a little something I pulled out of nowhere. Don't worry. I'll be posting a big, and, more importantly, complete story soon enough. It's what I've been working on for so long and why I haven't updated much on my other stories, but I'll get back to them when this one is done. I just have a couple more chapters to iron out. Anyways, I hope you liked this story, and you can show it by reviewing please?

Translation: los hombres hambrientos = the hungry men

I just thought it'd be funny to juxtapose the stiff culture of the British with the more openly romantic culture of Spain. I'm sure it would be a bit of a culture shock for a man who spends 2/3's of his life in the dungeons.


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